Santa Cristobal Island
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SEASONS AND WEATHER
When I first decided to come to the Galapagos Islands, I have to admit that I didn’t know a lot about them at all. Although I’d heard stories of the fantastic cruises that people had been on and the wildlife they’d seen, I wasn’t aware of the seasons or what it would actually be like to live there. As it happened, I arrived on San Cristobal in what was supposed to be the high season. December to January and June to August are the highest seasons when on the spot tours are supposed to be harder to arrange and prices are high. Arriving at the end of July then, I was expecting to find a circus of tourists trawling the shops, tours booked to the hilt and restaurants bursting at the seams. That nightclubs would be buzzing with holidaying foreigners, the pavements crawling with people and the beaches filled with toasting tourists burning themselves in the sun. So, when on my first night, I found myself sitting in what was supposed to be one of the most popular restaurants in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno almost alone, I began to wonder where all the crowds had disappeared to. Over the weeks, it became apparent that San Cristobal was never really going to get that busy. Apart from the handful of large restaurants that cater for tourists, most of them only open for a few hours a day to serve almuerzos and meriendas then close in between. With rare exceptions, even the most popular places only open for business after 6.30pm at night. Afternoons find shops shut for siesta time and frequently the town becomes devoid of life. Sundays are particularly quiet, though most locals choose this day to descend to the beach or retreat to the cool highlands for lunch and to play football.
The town also seems to go through peaks and troughs. Some nights will see the place alive and bustling with people. With only a handful of drinking haunts and places to dine, it’s not hard to fill up the bars and once the momentum gets going it’s hard to stop the party. Yet there are other days when you walk through the almost deserted streets with no-one to be found and suddenly the feeling of loneliness can be overwhelming.
September to November is considered the lowest season when seas are rougher and you’re more likely to find cheap tours. At the time of writing (October) a lot of construction has been taking place in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. Since the day I arrived, an enclosure of rusting corrugated iron had surrounded a large area on the seafront. Finally, this has started to come down and in place of the bumpy eyesore is a smooth paved area with towering trees, lit up beautifully at night with green lights. Located right next to the beach, it’s not unusual to find curious sea-lions wandering around beneath the lights, as though performing on a stage. At present, its’ only half completed but it should be finished in time for the high season and this is more than likely the intention of the other builders whose bricks adorn the ground of most of the town. Because of the time I arrived, I was told that the weather would be quite bad for most of the time so I’ve been really surprised by the amount of beautiful sunny days. I have worn my jacket a total of three times in the three months and even when it rains its’ only ever lightly. The sun is extremely powerful here so it’s important to use a high factor suntan cream. September and October can sometimes be a little windy and grey clouds and rain never last more than two days. There are never any thunderstorms. In general, apart from the strength of the sun, the weather here is very mild in the low season and there are no extremes. The water temperature is colder in this season and I was told that it would be too cold to swim in. Not one for liking the cold at all, even I have found the water bearable. Without a wetsuit, I’ve enjoyed many snorkeling jaunts at Punta Corolla and have managed up to twenty-minutes before having to get out of the water. Most Sundays see families and other hoardes of people swimming at Playaman and I know of others who swim for fitness on a regular basis.
December to June is classed as the wet season and temperatures range from 26 to 35 degrees Celsius (80 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit). Water temperatures range from 20 to 26 degrees Celsius (70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit). July to November is classed as the dry season and temperatures range from 20 to 26 degrees Celsius (70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit). Water temperatures range from 18 to 23 degrees Celsius (65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit).
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